An Alan Harper Story
by SLPikachu
Summary: Alan gets the surprise of his life, on his brother's doorstep, one morning. That he's a father again. However, his daughter is hiding a secret.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first _Two and a Half Men _story. This came when I was watching that episode when Judith was expecting again. I have a really big heart and I easily feel sorry for others, including fictional characters. So, I decided to write this about Alan.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Two and a Half Men _or any of its characters.  
**

**An Alan Harper Story**

Chapter 1

LA's night sky was clear, but the air was chilly. A mother drove down a street of a quiet neighborhood, close to the ocean. A little girl, no older than three was fast asleep in the backseat as the mother glanced up at her, through the rearview mirror. Tears filled the mother's eyes as she watched her daughter sleep, peacefully, knowing this was their last night they would ever see each other. Though, she had not told the little girl that, yet.

The little girl shifted from one side to another to lean against the car door, a strand of black hair falling into her face.

The mother pulled up in front of a house and turned off the car. She got out and went back to the trunk of the car to get her daughter's _Dora the Explorer _rectangular suitcase on wheels, carrying it by the side handle. She opened the little girl's door, slowly careful not to let her daughter fall out, and unfastened her seatbelt. The mother lifted her up and shut the car door before she started to wake her up.

It didn't take long for the little girl to wake up. She opened her eyes, halfway, rubbing her right eye.

"We're here, sweetheart," the mother told her daughter, quietly.

"Where are we, Mommy?" the little girl asked, sheepishly.

"Your new home, Tyler," her mother replied and carried her up the walkway, along with her suitcase. Her mother stopped on the front porch and kneeled down, on the ground. She set the little girl Tyler on her feet to look at her, their only light was the porch light. "Sweetheart, I know life has been hard for the both of us and that I have been trying very hard to make sure you were taken care of, but I can't keep it up. But I don't want you to suffer, though and that's why I brought you here. This is where your daddy lives, with your uncle. I'm sure he'll take good care of you."

Tyler looked at her mother, afraid and sad, "But what if Daddy doesn't like me?"

"Don't think that way, sweetheart," she told her, "if I remember, your daddy is the nicest man one could ever meet. He will like you, I promise." She took an envelope from her coat and handed it to her daughter. "Make sure your daddy gets this, okay?"

Tyler took the envelope from her mother. Her mother gave her one last, big hug and a kiss good-bye before she stood up to ring the doorbell, then her mother quickly ran back to her car and got in, driving away without looking back.

Tyler looked at the door to see no one there. She looked back as her mother drove off. She felt confused and wanted to cry. Tyler wandered over to try and reach for the doorbell to ring it again. She couldn't reach it, so she pushed her suitcase over to stand on it. Still, Tyler could not reach it and no one came.

Eyes filling up with tears, Tyler slid down against the door and folded her arms on top of her knees. She shivered against the cold air. Laying her face in her arms, she fell asleep. Several hours later, she was woke by the front door opening. Tyler looked up to see Charlie and a woman locked in a passionate kiss. She stood up, watching. "Are you my daddy?" she asked him.

Charlie froze in mid-kiss, popping his eyes open. He had never wanted to hear those words in all his life. Charlie looked down at the little girl. "Uh…" He was speechless, looking at the woman he had been kissing.

"You told me you didn't have children," she told him.

"I don't," he replied, defensively.

The woman then slapped him in the face and stormed out of the house. Charlie tried to bring her back, but failed. He turned back to the little girl. "Okay kid, who are you?"

"My name is Tyler," she said.

"Tyler?" he asked. "So you're a boy?"

"No, I'm a girl."

Charlie stared at her. "Isn't Tyler a boy's name?"

"No, it's my name." Tyler took the envelope she had folded into her jacket pocket out and held it out to him.

Charlie took it and looked at the front of the envelope. He was so relieved to see his brother's name on the front of it. "Well, I'm not your dad, my brother is, and boy I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out." Charlie picked up the girl's suitcase and stepped aside to let his niece in. "I'm your uncle Charlie," he introduced as he closed the door behind her before calling towards the kitchen, "Alan, there's someone here to see you!"

Alan appeared from the kitchen, "Who is it?" he asked. Alan stopped in his tracks when he saw Tyler. He looked at his older brother. "Charlie, what's going on?"

Charlie handed him the envelope. "Read this and maybe you'll find out," he grinned.

Alan took the envelope and unhooked the envelope flap from inside and pulled out a couple pieces of paper, folded. He unfolded them and turned them sideways to find a birth certificate on top. There, under father was his name. "Oh my gosh, I'm a father again," he said, taken by surprised, but in a good way. He looked at the next piece of paper to find a letter that read as this:

_Dear Alan,_

_I don't know if you remember me, but we dated for a bit, three years ago. Life has been hard since we parted ways, and got harder when our daughter was born. I know you're her father because I haven't slept with anyone since high school. I just lost my job and apartment. All I have is my car, which seems like it will also be my new home for the time being. Don't worry about me, I will be fine. I have enough money to make it up to Colorado where I have a friend I can stay with. Only it's nowhere to raise a child and plus, I don't have enough to get us both up there, anyway. I'm sorry to just leave her with you, but I hope you can take good care of her. I remember that you have a big heart, which Tyler has inherited from you. Kiss her good-night for me, every night and remind her that I will always love her._

_Sincerely, Robin _

Alan could not believe what he was reading. His mouth hung open as he read the letter in his head. When he finished, Alan looked down at his daughter, getting a good look at her. Tyler had his eyes and ears. He kneeled to her level, ushering Tyler over.

Tyler walked over to her father, slowly. "Are you my daddy?" she asked, hopeful.

"I…guess so." Alan then smiled. This was what he always wanted, was a daughter. Wasn't too sure about the name, but he wasn't going to change it and confuse the poor girl. He was sure Tyler was confused enough, what with her mother dropping her off there. "Are you hungry, Tyler?" he asked her.

She nodded.

Alan stood up and lifted Tyler up, into his arms and carried her into the kitchen. Charlie followed. "So, she's really your kid?" he asked of his younger brother.

"Yeah, everything adds up, and I kind of remember her mother," Alan said. "We dated about a year after Judith and I divorced. Then we realized that it would never work out between us, so we stopped dating." Alan sat Tyler in Jake's usual seat at the kitchen table.

"Where she going to sleep," Charlie asked. "There's no more room."

"Well, Jake has three more years before he's eighteen, and I can't make a fifteen-year-old share his bedroom, so Tyler can sleep in my room."

Charlie stared at his brother, "Your room?"

"Yeah, why not?" he shrugged, "I'm her father. Then when Tyler is older, she can have Jake's room."

"Alan, I may not know much on parenting…" Alan gave Charlie a look. "Okay, I know nothing on parenting, but wouldn't, having her sleep with you, form an attachment where she'll always depend on you?" asked Charlie.

Alan was getting Jake's cereal from the top cupboard. "No, Tyler will be fine," he told Charlie, pouring some cereal into a bowl.

"Well, you won't be able to have a girl over, now," he pointed out.

"Having a young child, Charlie, I won't even have time to date, anyway," said Alan. He went to the fridge to get a jug of milk, taking it back to where he left the bowl of cereal.

Berta came into the kitchen with the groceries. "Morning, boys," she greeted. She set the bulged out bag on the counter, by the sink.

"Morning, Berta," Alan replied, followed by Charlie, who was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Berta turned around and saw Tyler sitting at the table. "Who's the kid?" she asked the guys.

Alan set the bowl of cereal, with a spoon in it in front of his daughter. "This is Tyler, my daughter. Tyler, this is Berta." He introduced the two of them.

"Daughter, I didn't know you still had it in you," Berta told Alan.

Alan glared at the woman. "I am still considered quite young, thank you."

"What ever gets you through life," she shrugged.

Alan looked down as Tyler started eating her cereal. She was such a beautiful child to him, and he was so grateful that he had a daughter. He hoped Jake would get along with his new half-sister. Jake wasn't too thrilled when his mother was having a baby, now he had another little sister.


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so sorry it took so long for chapter two. I've been focused on my _Supernatural _stories, and plus I have physical therapy, and a bunch of other stuff. Plus, I wasn't expecting anyone to actually like this, but thank you!  
**

**An Alan Harper Story**

Chapter 2

Alan sat beside his daughter on his bed, waiting for the thermometer to beep. While Tyler was eating her cereal, her father poured for her, she started feeling sick from sleeping out in the cold for half the night. Alan rubbed her right shoulder as she leaned against him with the thermometer under her tongue.

"I just don't understand why your mother could have just stayed and keep ringing the doorbell, I would have woken up eventually," Alan was telling Tyler, but mostly he was just thinking out loud.

The thermometer beeped. Alan removed it and looked at the small screen that read, 100.4. He set it on the nightstand and stood up. Alan lifted Tyler up, into his arms and carried her into his bathroom to run her a bath to help with her fever.

"When was the last time you had a bath?" Alan asked, helping Tyler get undressed.

"Before our water turned off," she replied.

"Do you know long ago was that?"

Tyler shrugged.

After Alan gave his daughter a bath and helped dress Tyler in her _Dora _pajamas, he carried her back to his bed and laid her back down. Then he sat next to her and turned on his TV, flipping through the channels, trying to find cartoons.

When he flipped passed _SpongeBob_, Tyler told him to go back. "No, not _SpongeBob_, that show is not very good for children," he told her.

"But I love SpongeBob, Daddy," Tyler whined from the pillow she was laying on.

Alan looked down at her. "Your mother let you watch it?" he asked her.

She nodded up at him.

"It's a sponge who lives in a piece of fruit, with a pet snail, and a starfish for a best friend."

"Please, Daddy?" Tyler looked at her father, with sad, puppy dog eyes. It melted Alan's heart so much that he just gave in.

"Oh, all right." Alan left _SpongeBob_ on, setting the remote on the bed in front of him. "I'm going to go get you some juice, okay? I'll be right back." Alan left the room and headed for the kitchen.

Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the morning paper. He looked up when his brother came in. "How is she?" he asked.

"She's running a minor fever of 100.4," Alan replied, reaching in the fridge for the carton of orange juice. "I gave her a bath and now she's resting in bed, watching cartoons." He poured some juice into a cup and placed the carton back in the fridge. Picking up the cup of juice, he turned to Charlie. "I still can't believe I'm a father again. Jake has a few years and he's off on his own, and now I get to start all over again."

"Well, not over again, what is she, like four?" Charlie asked before taking a drink of his coffee.

"According to her birth certificate, Tyler is three," he replied.

"Three huh, the age where they try and wrap you around their little finger," said Charlie. "Once she gets to know us, it will be tea parties, ice cream, and dolls and I'll have to be the big, mean dragon who the princess turns nice."

"Come on, Charlie," Alan smiled, "It'll be nice having a girl in the house…" He cleared his throat. "…That isn't a hot date."

"Are you gonna call Jake, or are you waiting until he comes on Friday?" asked Charlie.

"I'll probably wait and tell him when I pick him up, on the drive here," Alan shrugged. "Poor Jake. We have to make sure Jake doesn't feel left out, with having a three-year-old girl living here, too could take up all our attention and I don't want him to feel unappreciated or left out."

"What do you mean, we?" Charlie asked. "They're your kids, not mine."

"And they are your niece and nephew, Charlie," he pointed out to his brother.

"So, doesn't mean I need to do anything," Charlie told him.

"But Charlie, I'm going to need your help, especially since I work during the day."

"Wait, you're not asking what I think you're asking, are you?" asked Charlie.

"I can't afford daycare, and I have no one else to watch her," Alan said, "and you work from home."

"Doesn't mean I don't have a life of my own," Charlie told him.

"Fine, Charlie, don't help. I guess I will think of something." With that, Alan stormed from the kitchen. He could not believe Charlie was that selfish. Actually, Alan couldn't believe he even tried. He should have known Charlie wouldn't have done it. 'Course, Alan shouldn't force it on Charlie, either. He was right, Charlie had his own life to worry about and this was his house. Charlie could have been a little sympathetic, though, but who was Alan kidding.

Alan headed back to his bedroom and gave Tyler, her juice, making her sit up to drink it. The moment Tyler swallowed, she made a sound like she had to throw up. Alan grabbed his trashcan and held it in front of her. Suddenly, the contents of Tyler's stomach were emptied into it. Alan realized Tyler must have caught the flu, being outside all night.

Tyler fell back, onto the pillow she was using. She had kicked off the comforter away from her body before her father had returned. Alan, concerned felt her forehead again and saw that her fever had gone up.

"Tyler, you're burning up!" he told her. Alan shut off the TV before getting his daughter's jacket and shoes, putting them back on for her. He then lifted her up and grabbed his keys off the nightstand, and hurried out the door, yelling to his brother that he was taking Tyler to the hospital.

Alan placed his daughter in the backseat of his car and fastened his seatbelt, making a mental note to buy a car seat for her as soon as possible. Shutting her door, he opened his, getting into the driver's seat and started the car, backing out of the driveway. He had made sure to bring his trashcan, in case Tyler needed it.

Alan kept glancing up, at his rear-view mirror to check on his daughter. He was surprised at how fast her condition changed, figuring and hoping it was just the flu. He drove as fast as the speed limit would allow, getting to the hospital, fifteen minutes later. Alan carried Tyler inside, going up to the front desk.

"My daughter is very sick," he told the nurse behind the front desk. "She's running a fever, she's weak, and she's throwing up."

"Okay, let's take a look, can we see your ID and insurance card?" the nurse asked, putting a new plastic cone on the end of the ear thermometer.

Alan reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, taking his driver's license and insurance card out and slid it across the desk. A nurse sitting down, took them while the one who had spoken, walked around the desk and stuck the ear thermometer inside Tyler's ear.

"What is your daughter's name, sir?" the nurse sitting down asked Alan.

Alan reached into his back pocket, relieved that he had put Tyler's birth certificate in there though he didn't know why, and looked at it. "Tyler Anne Harper," he read off.

"And her social?" she asked next.

"Uhhh…" Alan had not thought of that. He didn't know what to do now. The only document he had on him of Tyler's was her birth certificate. "I actually just got custody of her, this morning and her mother did not leave any paperwork, besides her birth certificate and a letter, explaining who Tyler was. We never even talked, she just left her on my brother's doorstep and left."

"So, you don't have any of your daughter's information?" the nurse asked.

"No, I was gonna go and request all that on Monday," he explained.

The ear thermometer beeped. The nurse took it out and walked back around, dumping the used cone into the trashcan. "103," she told the other nurse.

Alan became nervous when he heard how high Tyler's fever grew. He felt her shaking, too. Alan began rubbing her back as he held Tyler. Out of nowhere, Tyler started coughing, uncontrollably. "You okay, Tyler?" Alan asked. He was getting more worried by the minute.

Tyler couldn't respond, she just continued coughing. The nurse at the computer called for a stretcher, stat. Soon afterwards, a couple of doctors came through the double doors, pushing a stretcher. One of them took Tyler from Alan and sat her on it, pushing Alan out of the way.

Poor Alan didn't know what to do. He just stood there as the doctors and nurses did their thing. A doctor asked him if he knew if Tyler had any allergies to any medication, but Alan could only shrug. "What's going on?" he asked them. "Is my daughter gonna be all right?"

The same doctor responded, "Sir, we're doing all we can. Please just wait here and we will keep you posted." With that, the doctors and nurses wheeled Tyler through the double doors and hurried down the hall, leaving a confused and disoriented Alan behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just wanted to say thank you for reading this and to those who reviewed!  
**

**An Alan Harper Story**

Chapter 3

Alan paced the floor of the waiting room. He had been there for a couple hours now and no one has said a word to him. Alan was growing more and more hysteric with his thoughts on his newly-discovered daughter as he hoped and prayed Tyler would be okay.

Alan could not help but wonder why Robin had just left their daughter on the front porch, before making sure someone had heard the doorbell. He had gone to bed at ten o'clock, so it had to have been sometime after that. Alan also heard his brother come home around 11:30, so it was even later than that, Tyler was dropped off.

It was the middle of October. Fall had hit LA, weeks before. The warm temperatures of the summer had dropped to the seventies. Alan tried to remember what kind of person Robin was. She was sweet, and kind, and even humorous. They cared about each other, and Robin even helped him move on from his divorce Alan was still coping with, even after a year. She knew he had a son already, and had mentioned she loved children. She must have loved Tyler, dearly since there wasn't a mark or scratch on her. The letter even said so. So, why just drop the kid off and drive away, leaving her out in the cold, chilly night air? It didn't make any sense to Alan.

Alan was sitting down in one of the waiting room chairs, staring at the white, hard flooring. His hands were folded in his lap. Another hour had past and no one still hadn't come out and told him anything. Alan looked up at the ceiling as he felt a tear escape his right eye.

The automatic front doors opening caught his attention. Alan looked over to see his brother walking in at a fast pace. Charlie saw his brother and hurried over to him.

Alan was surprised to see his brother there. "Charlie, what are you doing here?" he asked him.

"No reason. I uh, needed to ask where the…" Charlie paused, thinking up a lie of why he was there. He did not want to admit that he was worried about his niece. "The…uh…can opener was."

Alan stood up, looking at his brother, confused. "You came all the way down here to ask where the can opener was?" he asked. Alan took his cellphone out of the pocket of his tan pants and held it up. "You could have called me."

Charlie tried to defend himself. "My phone…was…dead."

"House phone?"

"I don't know your number by heart!" Charlie exclaimed, but kept his voice low. He calmed a little before he said, "But while I'm here, may as well ask how Tyler is doing." He tried to play it cool, being his usual, normal self. Alan was seeing right through it, though. He knew Charlie came because he was mainly worried about his niece.

Alan smirked. "You do care," he said.

"I…well…yes, all right. Ever since that kid first looked at me, on the front porch, something happened. Since you left, I was sitting at the kitchen table, thinking about Tyler, and I could not shake off this feeling I was having. Satisfied?" Charlie admitted. "So, how is she?"

Alan turned and walked away, a little bit as he let out a sigh. "No one has said anything to me since we arrived," he explained, not making eye contact, his hands in his pants pockets.

Charlie looked outraged. "What, that's idiotic." He hurried past his younger brother, up to the front desk. "Excuse me, miss, I need some information."

"I'll be right with you, sir," the nurse said, before returning to her conversation with a doctor they were discussing about another patient.

"No, my brother has been waiting for hours now and no one has come out to talk to him," he told her.

Alan hurried up to his brother. "Charlie, it's okay. I can wait."

"You should not have been waiting that long, Alan," Charlie snapped. Alan could not believe how his brother was acting. Never in the brothers' whole lives, has Alan seen him take charge like that, and for him. It was like Charlie was a whole other person. Charlie turned back to the nurse. "I want a doctor out here, now!"

The nurse nodded, "I'm sorry, sir," she finally said. "What is the patient's name again?"

"Uh, Tyler Harper," Alan replied, trying to clear his head.

The nurse stood up and went to fetch a doctor.

Alan turned to fully face his brother, still amazed. "Charlie, what has gotten into you? I've never seen you like this."

"I know, I can't understand it, either," said Charlie. "I barely know the kid and she's got me so worked up. You see, this is exactly what I was talking about earlier. Tyler has already got me wrapped around her little finger. Damn, that kid is good."

"Charlie, it just means you have a heart," Alan assured him. "There's nothing wrong with what you're feeling."

"Of course there is, do I look like an overly-worried, protective uncle to you?"

"Come on, Charlie, just embrace this new you." Taunting his brother helped keep Alan's mind off of how worried he really was. He kept it up, as Charlie tried to fight it. Finally, a doctor came out. He was short and a little round around the middle. The doctor had short, black hair and wore green scrubs underneath his long, white coat.

"Who's here for Tyler Harper?" he asked, standing a few feet from the door, holding a clipboard.

Alan looked up at that point and hurried over to him, slightly raising his left hand. "That would be me. I'm her father, Alan Harper," he told the doctor. Charlie quickly followed after him. "How is she, doctor?" Alan asked.

"She's in Intensive Care, right now," the doctor began.

Alan looked alarmed upon hearing those words. His heart started beating, fast. "I thought she just had a case of the flu?"

The doctor shook his head. "It's pneumonia."

"Pneumonia, but Tyler's only been sick since this morning."

"Her immune system is very weak, that doubled with her age caused her to get to this point. We ran several tests and took x-rays, and we are providing treatment as best we can," he explained.

"When can we see her?" Alan asked. He could feel a lump forming his throat he could not swallow. He was now cursing Robin in his head for what she had done.

"She can't have any visitors until she's out of Intensive Care. The best you can do is, go home. It will be a while before we will know anything else. We would like to have your information before you go, so we will know who to contact." The doctor handed him another clipboard that had been hidden underneath his.

Alan took the clipboard from him, looking at it for a brief second before looking up. "Doctor…" Alan almost choked. He could feel his eyes start to water. "There isn't. A chance my daughter could… Die? Is there?"

"With how she seems, there could be a possibly. Her fever is still high, and she's constantly vomiting. Her heartbeat is also high for someone her age. Like I said though, we're doing all we can." With that, the doctor turned and headed back through the double, swinging doors.

Alan returned back to the forms the doctor had given him, finally letting the tears flow. Charlie stood beside him, not knowing what to say or do. Being sentimental wasn't his strong suit, nor was it even him. He wasn't a parent, either so Charlie couldn't fully grasp the thought of a father, possibly losing their child.

He was an uncle, though, with the possibly of losing his only niece. Charlie felt something twist inside of him and quickly left the hospital, going out to where he parked his car, leaving Alan alone.

After asking for a pen, Alan sat in one of the chairs, facing the same double doors the doctor went through and filled out the paperwork. It took him a very long time to complete them as his thoughts went back to Tyler, and her mother, and the lousy day he was having.


	4. Chapter 4

**Charlie may seem out of character at times, but that is only because I am trying to bring out that soft side of him, that's way down deep, deep, Deep inside of him, or I think so anyway. Probably should have mentioned this in the first chapter but criticism is always welcome, whether its good or bad. That's what helps me grow better as a writer. **

Chapter 4

Alan walked down to the hospital's cafeteria to get a cup of coffee. Even though the doctor had told him to go home, he knew he couldn't. Alan wanted to be as close to Tyler, he possibly could.

He thought about the many things Alan could do once his daughter was out of the hospital and feeling better. Alan kept assuring himself that Tyler was going to be just fine. He couldn't think negative thoughts, he had to stay positive.

Alan went up to the cashier and ordered a cup of coffee, handing her his debit card. The cashier swiped it and gave it back.

"Is everything okay?" the cashier asked, sincerely.

Alan shrugged. "Just waiting for my daughter to come out of Intensive Care," he said.

The cashier poured some coffee into a paper cup. "May I ask what she's in for?"

"I guess she developed pneumonia overnight." Alan then went on to explain the whole story, even after he got his coffee. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I wanted this chance to have another child. My son is at that age where he doesn't want to spend any time with me, and before I know it, he'll be moving out on his own." He took a long breath. "I was so excited when I found out Tyler was my child, and now…" Alan couldn't finish. It was hard to stay positive.

The cashier looked at Alan. "Everything will work out for the best, you just have to have faith. It also wouldn't hurt to pray."

He shook his head. "Oh no, I'm not much on the whole praying thing."

"But it will help," she told him. "Try it."

Alan looked at the cashier. He was a bit skeptical about it, but he told her he would try. Alan walked out of the cafeteria and down the hall, staring down as he walked. When he got back to the waiting room, he sat in one of the chairs and leaned forward on his knees as he held his cup in both hands. He wasn't really sure about it, but he took the cashier's advice.

Alan was sitting over in a far corner. There weren't that many people around as he began to pray out loud, still keeping his voice down. "God, it's me, Alan Harper," he glanced up. "I know I usually don't ask much of you, in fact I can't remember the last time I did. I'm asking now, though. Please help Tyler and also me through this. Please don't take her from me, not now. You know I've always wanted a daughter for a while now, ever since Judith and Herb had theirs. Please, God, this is all I ask from You. I need her, God." Alan couldn't help but let the tears fall again. He could not lose his child so soon, considering they just met. Alan shut his eyes tight and just cried, not caring who saw him.

Meanwhile, Charlie was sitting in a bar, drinking, of course. He was trying to wrap his head around this sudden change he was going through. He never had cared for a girl before. It was simply dating and sex Charlie was in for. His relationships never lasted very long and he could never remember names or faces, but Tyler's face stayed etched in his mind and he could not remove her from it.

A young-looking, pretty woman walked up to lean on the counter beside him. "Hello, what's a cute guy like yourself doing here?" she smiled at him.

Charlie glanced at her, and then returned his focus back to his drink. "My niece is in the hospital."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Let me buy you a drink." The woman turned to the bartender, and orders another beer for Charlie, passing it to him. Charlie, wanting rid of his thoughts, smiled at her. Soon, they were locked in a kiss and the next thing he knew, they were in a bed, in a motel room.

It was dark out as he looked around the small room. Charlie rubbed at his eyes, glancing back at the woman sleeping next to him. Once his head stopped spinning, he looked at the digital alarm clock on the bedside table. It read, _1:35 AM_. Charlie did not know how long he'd been out. He got out of bed and picked up his pants from the floor, digging in one of the pockets for his phone to see if Alan had called.

Charlie opened the phone and saw that he had no missed calls or voicemails. _Wait, why would Alan call me? Why would I care, anyway? This is my lame brother we're talking about here. _He could not help but think of Tyler again. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he called Alan.

Alan picked up on the fifth ring. "Hello?" he asked as if he woke up.

"Hey Alan, its Charlie," Charlie said.

"Charlie?" he asked. "It's one in the morning, what are you still doing up?"

"I called to see how Tyler was doing. Have you heard anything yet?"

"Not yet, I'm still at the hospital," he replied.

"Didn't the doctor say to go home?" Charlie asked of his brother.

"Yeah, but I couldn't. I wanted to be close to Tyler," he said. "How are you holding up?"

Charlie ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I went to the bar to have a drink, and woke up in a motel room with some chick, I say I'm doing pretty good." He knew Alan was now shaking his head at him.

"Would you like me to keep you posted on how she's doing?" Alan asked.

Charlie shrugged, "Sure, if you want."

"Okay, I'll call you as soon as I hear anything," he told his brother.

"Okay then" and they hung up. Charlie sat there, staring at the floor. For some reason, memories of his nephew, Jake growing up, flooded his mind. He did not want to admit it, but deep down he loved that kid and remembered sitting together at his piano as he sang to him. Charlie wondered if he would share those moments with Tyler as well.

She seemed really shy to Charlie. He never remembered Jake being shy. The kid was always open and loud. Charlie would think it was a girl thing being shy, but remembered Alan being a little shy when they were kids. He could still remember Alan's first day of school and how he gripped Charlie's hand as the school bus drove up to their bus stop, followed by Charlie yanking his hand away, and Alan turning on the waterworks.

Charlie shook his head clear and quickly got dressed, heading home. When he got there, Charlie tried to fall back to sleep but he kept tossing and turning. Around, five in the morning, after waking up the fourth time, he got up and drove to the hospital. Charlie walked through the automatic front doors just as the same doctor from before was talking to Alan.

Charlie rushed right over. "What's going on?" he asked. Alan was in tears and it made Charlie think that it wasn't good news the doctor was giving.

However, what Alan said, blew his mind. "Tyler is gonna be all right."

"She is?" he asked.

"Her fever finally went down to a decent temperature, it's not completely down but it's not dangerous anymore. Tyler is still vomiting, and can't keep any food down at the moment, though," the doctor explained what he had just told Alan, to Charlie.

"Can we see her now?"

"She's sleeping right now, but yes you can go up and see her. Follow me." The doctor turned and walked away. Alan and Charlie followed him. They headed down a few hallways and up a couple floors to Tyler's hospital room, where she was sleeping, peacefully.

Tyler was lying up in bed, in a hospital gown, with a pulse tracker taped to her finger. Her chest was moving, steadily, the way a three-year-old's chest should. Alan wanted to desperately to run over and give his daughter a big hug, but did not want to wake her. The sound of the door closing when the doctor left them alone made Tyler open her eyes, anyway. She looked over and saw her father and Uncle Charlie.

"Daddy?" she asked.

Alan was talking to Charlie when he heard Tyler calling him. "Tyler, you're awake." He hurried over and sat on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?"

Tyler looked up at her father. "I thought you left me like Mommy did," she admitted. "I looked everywhere and you weren't there."

"I'm here now, and that's all that matters," Alan assured her.

Tyler tried to sit up, onto her legs to crawl over to him, but fell back when her head felt dizzy.

"Try and take it easy, sweetheart," he said.

Charlie stood back and just watched. He wasn't sure what he should do at this point. He was glad his niece was fine as his worries were ceasing from his thoughts now. Finally, he heard himself say, "I'm here, too, Tyler."

Tyler looked over and just stared at him. "Hi, Uncle Charlie."

"Your uncle Charlie has been so worried about you, he couldn't even sleep," Alan said.

"Weelly?" she asked her father.

Charlie shrugged, "It's no big deal, really."

Alan just smiled at his daughter. "He's just being modest. We both really care about you."

"Will Mommy come back?" she asked.

That caught Alan off guard. He looked up at his brother, and then returned his attention back to her. "No, your mom won't be coming back."

Tyler looked like she might cry at any moment. "It was for nothing," she said, sadly.

Alan didn't know what Tyler meant by that. "What do you mean, Tyler?" he asked her. "What was for nothing?"

Tyler looked up at him. "Nothing, Mommy said not to tell anyone." She then turned onto her left side, facing where Charlie was standing, and curled into a tiny ball.

Alan didn't know what to say. Was there something he was missing? What could make Tyler this upset and why couldn't she tell him?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Alan was on his phone, talking to his first-born on his phone. "You're welcome to still come over, Jake, but I won't be there," he was telling Jake. It was two days after Tyler's fever had gone down. She still had to stay in the hospital, though. Tyler had moments where she couldn't breathe and Alan would be kicked out of the room while the doctor and nurses treated her.

"That's fine, I don't need you around." said Jake.

"Hurtful," Alan told his son. "Just let your uncle know, you're coming. You're welcome to stop by the hospital, Tyler would love to meet her big brother."

"Tyler? Isn't that a guy's name?" Jake questioned.

Alan sighed, "Yes, but we are not going to make a fuss about it around her."

"Whatever, I'll talk to ya later. Bye." Jake hung up after his father said bye, back.

Alan put his phone away in his pocket. He looked over at Tyler, who was sitting up in bed, watching _Clifford, the Big Red Dog_. He went over and sat next to her, pulling her into his lap. "Hey, can I talk to you?" he asked.

Tyler nodded at him.

"Was it always just you and your mother?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"It seems like your mother loved you very much." For the last couple days, Alan could not help but wonder what secret, Tyler was holding back from him. It scared him, just thinking about the possibilities.

"Yeah." Tyler kept looking over at the TV with the big, red dog.

"So, she never hurt you in any way?" he asked.

"No, but…" Tyler quickly covered her mouth with both hands as she stared up at her father.

"But what?" he asked.

She shook her head, still covering her mouth. Tyler uncovered it long enough to say, "Mommy says I cannot tell anyone about our secwets."

"Why not?" Alan continued to ask.

Tyler looked away, staring down at the bed. Alan held her chin in his right hand, gently moving it back to look at her.

"Tyler, I want to help you."

"You can't, Daddy, it alweady hap'n," she told him.

"What already happened?" But Tyler just shook her head and tears filled her eyes. She shook her head from his hand and buried her face in his chest. Tyler then cried into his chest. Alan wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close. "It will be okay, Tyler, I promise."

Tyler was able to be released by the next weekend after all. She wasn't 100% better, but enough she didn't need to stay there. Alan drove her home, deciding to pick up Jake, on the way since it was Friday afternoon.

Tyler sat in the backseat, in a car seat, Alan had bought. She was covered up in a blanket, clutching a stuffed Siberian Husky around the neck as she sucked her thumb. Alan looked at her, in the rear-view mirror.

"Sweetheart, if you keep sucking your thumb your teeth will be messed up."

Tyler held her Husky closer to her. The whole way to Herb and Judith's house, the car ride was in complete silence. Alan tried getting her to talk, but it was only a few words. To him, Tyler seemed really closed in. Yes, she acknowledges he is her dad and she hugs him and wants to be around him, but Tyler still wasn't comfortable enough to have a full conversation.

It sure seemed different from when Jake was that age. 'Course, Alan figured that was normal since Jake was a boy and Tyler was a girl, and boys and girls were not the same.

Alan finally pulled up to Judith and Herb's house, turning off the engine. He got out, getting Tyler out as well, carrying her up to the front door.

"Where are we, Daddy?" Tyler asked after Alan rang the doorbell.

"This is where your brother lives," Alan told him.

"He doesn't live with you?" she asked.

"On the weekends, he does. During the week, Jake lives with his mom."

"Why?"

"His mom and I used to be married, but things weren't working out so we had to separate. Now, your brother goes back and forth so we both can still see him."

Herb was the one to answer the door. "Oh, hey Alan," he greeted him. "This must be little Tyler." Herb smiled at the little girl in Alan's arms.

"Oh, you heard already?" Alan asked, surprised.

"Yeah, Jake told us," he said, pointing behind him with his thumb. "Jake also said she was in the hospital, what happened?"

Alan told Herb the whole story. Just as he was finishing, Jake came out, carrying his backpack on one shoulder.

Herb had his arms folded. "So, she just left Tyler on the porch?"

"Yeah, and her immune system is weaker than it should be so the doctor said, Tyler has a greater chance of getting really sick. I have to make sure she has a lot of vitamin C in her diet."

"Well, feel free to bring her to my office whenever you need to," he offered.

"Great, thank you, I certainly will. Ready to go, Jake?"

"I thought you weren't going to be home for the weekend?" Jake asked him.

"The hospital released your sister early, so I thought we would swing by and pick you up." Alan smiled, cheerfully.

Jake just looked at him. "Call her whatever you want, but she ain't my sister. It's bad enough I have one, now I have two?" he said before walking towards the car. "Can't anyone make boys around here?"

Alan watched his son walk towards the car. He never thought Jake would react this way, towards having another little sister.

Charlie was sitting on the couch, walking a basketball game while drinking a beer. He held it in his left hand, sitting on the arm of the couch.

Tyler wandered in, slowly, clutching her Husky to her. She climbed on to the couch, on the opposite end of the couch and sat with her knees folded against her. Tyler placed her left thumb in her mouth and watched the game, too.

Charlie looked over at his niece. Every day, Tyler was in the hospital, he would stop in to say hello. So far, Charlie only got a few words out of her. For some reason, Tyler has only opened up to her father. Charlie smiled at Tyler, "hey, how are ya feeling?"

Tyler looked over at him for a brief moment, but returned to the game.

"So, you like basketball?" he asked, making small talk.

She nodded.

"Really, who's your favorite team?"

Tyler did not answer. She continued watching. Charlie returned to the game, too until a commercial came on. Then he tried again.

"You like dogs?"

Tyler looked at her uncle again. She took her thumb out of her mouth long enough to say, "No, just puppies."

"Oh," he said. Charlie was starting to feel awkward. "What's your puppy's name?"

"He doesn't have one."

He asked, "How come?"

"He doesn't deserve a name because he's ugly and was a miscake," Tyler flat out responded, taking her uncle by surprise.

"That's not very nice, why would you say something like that?"

Tyler looked down at her stuffed dog. Charlie noticed tears were beginning to form in her eyes. The past week he knew his niece, she seemed very sweet, with only good things to say. Where was this coming from?

At that moment, Alan walked in. "Hey, is Tyler in here?" he asked. His question was answered when he came up beside the couch and noticed Tyler sitting on the couch. Alan reached down and lifted her up. "It's past your bedtime, Tyler."

"But I wanted to watch bass-kit-ball," she told her father in a quiet voice so only he could hear her.

"It's late and you need to go to bed, okay?" Alan told her.

Tyler nodded.

Alan carried her to his bedroom and laid her on the bed, covering her up with his comforter. He kissed his daughter on the side of her head. "Good night, Tyler," he said, gently. "I love you." Alan stood up to head for the door.

"Daddy," she said.

Alan stopped. "Yes, sweetheart?" he responded.

"Will you ever…never mind." Tyler tried to ask, but stopped herself, clutching her Husky tighter.

Alan sat on the edge of the bed, facing Tyler. "Will I what, sweetheart?" he asked. He knew now that Tyler was hiding something from him. There must be more to that letter Robin wrote. Was it all a lie to cover something up? Alan worried about Tyler, especially since she was so closed up. "You can always talk to me, Tyler. I'm here for you. I care about you and want to help you."

Tyler tried to open her mouth to speak, but shut it. "I can't." Tears filled her eyes and Tyler hid her face in the pillow. Alan reached over and pushed back some hair from her face, putting it behind her right ear. It hurt to see one of his children like this. He didn't know what to do.

"Tyler, I won't get mad, if that's what you're afraid of," he told her.

"Mommy will," she sniffed from the pillow.

"Tyler, did…did your mother hurt you?" he asked again.

Tyler lifted up, to shake her head, no, and then lied back down.

Alan watched her. "Are you lying, because we don't lie in this family." He tried to sound stern, but at the same time, he sounded gentle and sincere.

She lifted once more to shake her head, no before laying it back down on the pillow. After a couple minutes, Tyler asked, "Can you wub my back like Mommy did?"

"Sure, sweetheart." Alan moved closer and began rubbing circles across Tyler's back.

After a while, Tyler said, "You're the nicest man I ever met. I'm happy you're my daddy."

That brought tears to Alan's eyes. "Me, too," he managed to choke out. Alan continued to rub her back until she fell asleep. Then, very quietly, he left the room, turning out the light. Alan checked on Jake on his way back to the family room, who was busy playing his Xbox360. "Charlie, I'm worried about Tyler," Alan told his brother as he walked up to the couch, Charlie was sitting on. Alan sat down, crossing his right leg over the other. "She seems like she wants to tell me something, but holds it in."

"Should have heard what she said about her stuffed dog," Charlie said, before taking a swig of his beer.

"Why, what did she say?" he asked.

"That it was ugly and a mistake."

Alan couldn't believe what Charlie just said. He stared at his brother, "Tyler said that?"

"Yup," said Charlie.

Alan tried to connect that to the rest of what Tyler has said. What came out of it, made him feel uneasy. "You don't think Robin could have…" He swallowed hard. "…abused her, do you?"

Charlie looked over at his younger brother. "Didn't the letter say, she loved Tyler?"

"Well, yeah. But…what if it's all a lie? That would explain why Robin left her on the front porch."

"Come on, Alan," Charlie told him. "You saw her. There wasn't a mark on her."

"There are ways around that, Charlie."

"She latched onto you, pretty fast," Charlie pointed out. "Don't abused children have trouble with stuff like that?"

"Look, I don't know for sure, okay?" Alan admitted. "I'm just saying, Tyler is really afraid about something and I want to know what it is. I don't remember Robin being the type, but maybe something happened to make her hurt Tyler. I mean, people can change."

"Stop thinking about it, alright," Charlie told him. "You're making a mountain out of a molehill. The kid is three, she could of heard someone call someone else ugly and a mistake on TV, and her mother probably punished her for something. You know how the world is, you give a kid one little smack and suddenly its abuse, so Robin told Tyler not to say anything so no one would get the wrong idea. So just chill, would ya."

"But Charlie, you seen how closed in she is," Alan tried to argue.

"Some kids are naturally shy, it don't mean anything," he shrugged.

Alan sighed. "I know, I'm just afraid of the possibility." He stared at the TV, but wasn't really watching it. His thoughts kept drifting on his daughter. Maybe Charlie was right. Maybe nothing happened to Tyler…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The house was quiet and dark. Not a sound was heard, not even from Charlie's bedroom. Everyone was asleep in their beds. Alan slept beside his daughter with his arm around her. Tyler had been fine up until then, sleeping soundly. She did not even wake up when her father had lied down beside her.

Now, as the digital alarm clock on the nightstand turned to 2:36 AM, Tyler started whimpering in her sleep, followed by tossing and turning.

"Stop it!" Tyler cried out in her sleep. "It hurts! No more!"

Alan was bolted out of a sound sleep. When he realized the yelling was Tyler, he sat up and turned on his light behind the clock and started trying to wake her. "Tyler, wake up. It's just a dream, wake up, sweetheart." Alan pushed back the front of her hair.

After a few seconds of Alan trying to wake her, Tyler bolted to a sitting position, which did not help her slightly fevered head. She panted hard like she just ran the Detroit Marathon as tears fell from her eyes. She scanned the room, looking around. She looked over and saw her father sitting next to her. However, since her vision was blurred by tears, she only saw his outline and quickly scooted away.

"Pwease don't hurt me."

Alan tried to reach out for her, "Tyler, it's just me. It's Daddy."

Tyler wiped away at her eyes in her right arm and looked at him again. When she saw who it was, Tyler jumped on him and tightly squeezed his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder. She cried softly, tears pouring down her face.

Alan sat there and comforted his daughter. He felt torn and confused. There was defiantly something Tyler was not telling him, and he wanted to know what it was. On the other hand, maybe it was best if he never knew. He held his little girl as she cried her eyes out. Alan rubbed her back, up and down as he softly spoke to her. "It's all right, you're safe now. Nothing will hurt you, I promise. It was all a dream."

"No it wasn't," she said, automatically. "It weal-wee happened."

Alan's head shot up when he heard what Tyler had said, but he tried to shake it off. "It may seem real, sweetheart but it was just a dream."

Tyler sniffed from his shoulder. She did not try to argue with her father, instead Tyler just laid into her father's warm and loving arms until she fell back to sleep. When Alan noticed, he laid her back down and turned out the light, before lying back down, himself.

The next day, Alan woke before everyone else and went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He sat there at the table, staring at the brown liquid which warmed his hands as he held them wrapped around the mug. He was so deep in thought he hadn't heard Berta walk into the kitchen.

"Morning," she greeted but got no response. Berta moved her head to look directly at Alan. "You okay there?"

Alan finally snapped out of it, shaking his head. "What?"

"I said, good morning," she repeated.

"Oh, good morning, Berta," he finally said before taking a drink of his coffee.

Berta walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee. "How's the kid?" she asked.

"She's fine. Still has the fever, but it's not at a dangerous level anymore. The vomiting has taken its course by now, though."

"That's good," said Berta, before taking a drink.

Alan returned to his coffee, staring at it.

"So, what's the problem?"

Alan looked back up, surprised. "What problem? Did I say there was a problem?" he asked of her.

"No, but you look very depressed," she shrugged.

He sighed. "It's just…" Alan tried to look up at the woman he was talking to. "I think Tyler is hiding something from me."

"What makes you say that?"

"The way she seems, the way she talks, sometimes, and last night, she cried in her sleep that someone was hurting her. When Tyler did wake up, she thought it was me who was hurting her. I don't even know what to do, or what to say."

At that point, Jake wandered in as he carried Tyler in his arms. "Dad, Tyler came into my room looking for you and she's shaking. Can you take her?"

Alan jumped up, fast and took Tyler from his son. Jake was defiantly telling the truth about Tyler shaking. He tried to calm her down by rubbing her back again. So far, it seemed like the only thing that truly did the trick. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Did you have another bad dream?"

Tyler nodded from his left shoulder and started sucking on her thumb.

Jake was rubbing the back of his neck. "That kid has a good death grip," he told his father. "She was clutching it so tight I thought she was trying to choke me."

"Tyler's just really scared, Jake," his father replied.

"I've never seen anyone that scared before."

"Neither have I," said Alan as he continued to rub Tyler's back. He walked over to the couch where the TV was and sat down, setting Tyler on his lap, trying to get her to look at him. "Hey, look at me."

Tyler looked up at her father like she was told.

"I really hate to pry, but can you tell me about your dream?" he asked her.

Tyler shook her head, slowly.

"Why not? It will help you feel better, talking it out."

"Mommy said not to tell anyone," Tyler repeated for the umpteenth time.

"I understand your mother doesn't want you to tell anyone, but sometimes secrets have to be told, and it seems to me that this sounds like a very dangerous secret."

Tyler looked away as a tear fell.

Alan tilted her head up, in his right hand. "I promise, you will not be in any trouble if you tell me. Okay?"

"Mommy says that no one will under-tan," she said.

"Well, you have to trust me on this," Alan told her. "It's not doing you a bit of good keeping it bottled up like this."

Tyler shook her head, her eyes shut tight. "I can't! I can't! I just can't!"

Alan brushed his hand along the top of her head, kissing it before he rested his forehead against hers. "I understand it's hard, but it will help out in the long run. I need to know what your mother did."

Tyler sniffed and looked up, making Alan move his head back. "Mommy didn't do anyting," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Tyler nodded.

"Did someone hurt you?"

Tyler did not respond to that, which pretty much answered Alan's question anyway.

"Who hurt you, Tyler?"

She shook her head again, this time with fresh tears.

"Please tell me, Tyler. I promise, it will help you." Alan kept trying to urge his daughter to talk to him. Tyler was very stubborn and would not give in.

After several minutes, Tyler happened to look up and see her uncle standing in the kitchen, pouring himself some coffee. She climbed down, off her father's lap and ran over to him. She didn't know why she wanted her uncle when she hasn't really opened up to Charlie yet, but he wasn't the one trying to get her to talk when she did not want to.

Tyler looked up at her uncle and held out her arms to him, gesturing for him to pick her up.

Charlie looked down at his niece, not sure what to do. He hadn't held a kid since Jake was around her age. However, something made him set his coffee on the counter and lift Tyler up, into his arms, who immediately clung to his neck.

Tyler cried into Charlie's left shoulder, wetting his grey T-shirt. "Make Daddy stop," she cried, softly.

"Your dad never listens to me, kid," Charlie told her. "I've been trying to get him to move out since he moved in."

Alan walked over to them. Berta had left to clean the bathroom and Jake was eating his cereal. "I don't get it, Dad," he shrugged, "why make her talk when she doesn't want to?"

"Because Jake, if Tyler continues to keep it bottled up, it will continue to haunt her and may scar her, mentally," Alan replied.

"How scared she is, I'm pretty sure she's already scarred by it."

"Well, Tyler still needs to talk about it."

"For Pete's sake, Alan, she's three years old. You can't expect her to just open up to you," Charlie told his brother.

Alan sighed. "I know, Charlie. That's what hurts the most about all this."

All day long, Tyler tried to avoid her father. She started out, lying on the couch, watching cartoons on Nickelodeon. After a couple hours, Alan came in and sat down at her feet just to watch the TV with her. Tyler stood up and left the room.

"Where are you going?" he asked of her.

Tyler ignored him and walked out of the room. She wandered around the house, taking in the sights. She heard her older brother playing his Xbox360 and curiously wandered inside, climbing up, onto his bed to lie beside him to watch as he shot a guy trying to shoot him.

"Dad's not gonna let you watch this if he finds you, you know," Jake told his sister without taking his eyes off the TV screen.

She looked up at him, "Why not?"

"It's too violent for you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that there is a lot of stuff that you're too young for."

"Then why are you still playing it with Tyler in the room?" Jake and Tyler turned their heads to see their uncle Charlie standing in the doorway. Jake quickly paused his game.

"I was getting there," he said.

Charlie walked into the room and picked his niece up. "Come on, kid. I want to show you something."

"What is it?" asked Tyler as Charlie carried her into the living room.

Charlie sat at his piano and set her down, beside him on the piano bench. "I wrote this for ya while you were still at the hospital." Charlie began to play as he sang to his niece. The song was cut short when a rock was smashed through the window beside the front door.

Alan came running in. "What was that noise?" he asked.

Charlie was walking over to where the rock had landed underneath the table behind the couch. Attached to the rock was a folded piece of paper. He pulled it out from the rubber band that held it and unfolded the paper.

"What does it say?"

Charlie read what was on the piece of paper. "We know who you are and we want what you have. Give her up and we won't kill you."

"What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I think someone's after Tyler," Charlie said, making Tyler turn on the waterworks again and scare her.

Alan went over and tried to pick her up, but Tyler pushed him away and went to her uncle, who lifted her up, into his arms. Alan's heart just about broke. He went over and took the note from his brother, reading it himself. Maybe Robin wasn't dropping Tyler off because she was going somewhere Tyler couldn't go, maybe she was dropping Tyler off because she thought Tyler would be safe here. If that was the case, how did they find Tyler so fast? It's only been a week.


	7. Chapter 7

**Fair warning, this chapter may be hard to read. There is content of abuse to an adult and talk of child abuse. **

Chapter 7

Robin sat on a worn out couch, with her hands tied behind her back. She had been sitting there for the past four days, only let up to use the bathroom. The living room was empty except for the couch, TV, and several milk crates, flipped upside down on the tiled floor. She tried to yank the ropes apart, but they only tightened deeper into her wrists, cutting the skin.

She wondered how her daughter was doing. Probably driving her father and uncle crazy. She smiled at the thought, picturing Charlie yanking his hair out.

There were footsteps coming from down the hall, towards where Robin sat. Her heart was beating fast. _Oh God, he's awake! _She thought to herself. Robin continued to pull on her restraints, trying to break free.

A six foot four, tall, well-built man stood in the doorway, smirking. "You weren't trying to get away, were you?" he asked.

Robin shook her head, quickly. "No, of course not, Ben."

"Good, because that wouldn't be good. I still need the location where you took that child of yours." Ben walked over to her, his face inches from hers. "So, ready to squeal yet?"

Tears filled her eyes. "I would never sell out my own child," she told him.

Ben stood up, laughing. When he was able to contain himself, Ben whispered in her ear, "You already did" and pulled back.

Robin felt the tears fall. She felt she had failed her child for what she let happen to her. She could have thought of another way. "I didn't know what else to do. I love my daughter," she cried, softly.

"My mom hated my guts, but she never let anyone sleep with me just so we could pay the bills," Ben said.

She bit her lip, flinching upon hearing her mistake out loud like that. "I wish I could take it back."

"Well, what's done is done and I want her more, you still owe me." He bent over again, flipping out a knife and pointed it in her face. "Where is she?"

"You're sick!" she lashed out.

"We have that in common," he grinned.

"No, we have nothing in common, you sick bastard!" Her tears turned to bitter anger.

He shrugged, "You could have said no. Now, are you going to tell me where she is or am I gonna have to kill you?" Ben waved the knife in her face, the blade pointing towards her.

"Just kill me, I don't deserve to live."

"Now, I could do that, but then I thought about it. I knew you would say something like that, so I decided, if I had to kill you, then I would have to kill that kid of yours, and you don't want that, do you?"

"You won't know where she is," Robin reminded him.

"No, but I have friends who can find out for me. So, what's it gonna be?"

Robin looked away, not saying a word.

"You're only making it hard for yourself and your kid. Everything could have been okay if you just did what I said, but no, you had to go and hide her away."

Robin thought about her daughter as she looked away from the man. She regretted every ounce of what she let happen to Tyler. Money was scarce and their water and electricity had been turned off. That still wasn't a reason when she met Ben and took his offer.

Ben slapped her in the face. "Look at me, bitch!" he bellowed.

She looked up at him and spat at him. It only made him more pissed off. Ben grabbed her by her hair and threw her onto the floor and kicked her several times in her stomach. Robin coughed up a lot of blood.

"Where is the child?" he demanded, on one knee beside her.

Robin still could not tell him. Nothing could make her say it. Tyler was in a safe place where she was, and Robin was gonna make sure it stayed that way. Another slap snapped her out of her thoughts. "I won't…tell…you, Ben," she told him.

Ben raised his eyebrows. "That's not what I want to hear, Robin."

Robin coughed up some more blood as the front door opened and footsteps were heard, walking into the living room.

"Boss, I may have found the kid."

Ben looked back at another man, his size. "Where?"

"I was having blood work done at the hospital yesterday and I saw her leaving with some guy. I followed him all the way home to a beach house in Malibu."

Ben grinned down at Robin. "Have a pimp, do we?"

"No, he's Tyler's real father." Her ribs felt like they were on fire. Robin wondered why Alan would take her to the hospital. Then it dawned on her. _Oh God, did Alan find out what happened to Tyler? Did Tyler tell him?_

Ben stood up, facing his buddy. "Send a note to the guy, let him know we will kill him if he doesn't hand her over to us," he told him.

The guy nodded as Robin tried to scream out. Ben turned to look back down at her. "Don't worry, I won't kill you, now but if the kid's father doesn't hand her over, I'll kill both of you, and Tyler." Ben headed for the kitchen, leaving Robin on the floor.

"Ty…ler," she whispered to herself. "I am so sorry. I failed to protect you." With that, Robin passed out.

"My child is in danger!" Alan yelled into the phone. He immediately called the police after the rock crashed through the window.

"Sir, I'm sure it's just some teenagers messing around, it usually is," the police officer told him, calmly.

"And what's if it's not?" he asked.

"Then give us a call when you have more evidence." The police officer said before they hung up.

Alan rubbed the sides of his forehead as he leaned on his elbows, at the table. He didn't know what was going on. It felt like he was caught in an episode of _Law & Order_ or something, except the cops were deuces. The thought that someone wanted his child scared him and all he wanted to do was protect both her and his son. His kids were the only thing that mattered now, after all the letdowns in his life.

Tyler wandered into the kitchen. "Daddy."

Alan looked up to see Tyler standing beside him.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked.

Alan sat up and lifted his daughter up, onto the table, in front of him. "No, why would I be mad?" he asked her.

"I wouldn't talk to you," she replied.

"No, I'm not mad at you," he assured her, again. "I wish you would tell me, though."

Tyler looked down. She looked back up and asked, "If I tell you, would you promise not to tell Mommy?"

"Of course, sweetheart." He'd figure since he would never see Robin again, the promise would be easy.

"The water and wights got turned off and Mommy couldn't buy food, and this man said he could give us money," Tyler began.

Alan nodded, an uneasy feeling creeping into his stomach. He didn't know why it started twisting, but Alan didn't like where Tyler was going with this. "Okay," he said.

"So Mommy was able to get the water and wights back on after the man…" Tyler trailed off. Alan saw tears filling her eyes and one fell down her cheek.

He was starting to understand. "He hurt you, didn't he?" he asked her.

Tyler nodded, slowly. "Mommy gave me a bath and made me all pretty before he came into my woom and took his pants off." Hearing that made Alan put his hand to his mouth. Standing up, he rushed over to the sink and vomited into the sink. Tyler twisted back to watch. "Are you sick now, too, Daddy?"

Alan tried to respond, but felt round two and threw up again. Luckily, Berta had just done the dishes, so the sink was empty. Finally, he was able to look back in disbelief. "Your mother let a man come in and do that to you?"

Tyler nodded, slowly. "It weally hurt, Daddy." More tears were coming as she relived those awful memories.

Alan rinsed his face, and then went back over to lift his daughter up, into his arms, rocking her from side to side as tears were beginning to fall from his own eyes, as well. "Robin, you bitch," he muttered to himself. To Tyler, "Did this just happen?"

Tyler nodded from his shoulder. She coughed a bit before nestling her face into it.

"Don't worry, Tyler, I may not be doing great, money-wise, but nothing, and I mean nothing will ever make me put you in that situation. I love you, sweetheart with all my heart." Alan held his daughter tight.

"Mommy said she was sorry," Tyler tried to defend her mother.

He sniffed, "It doesn't matter. The fact that she let it happen just makes me so mad."

It was silent for a moment before Tyler asked, "Was Mommy a bad mommy?"

Alan hesitated. Finally, he said, "Yes." He was so blinded by hate, right now. It hurt so much to know his child was raped by another man, and her mother did nothing to stop it.


	8. Author's Note

**Author's note: **I have put this story on hold for right now. I am currently working on another fanfic, but as soon as I finish that, I will continue this one.


	9. Chapter 9

**So sorry for not updating in like, a month! I mostly write _Supernatural_ fanfiction and been more focused updating one of those. I ended up with Writer's Block so I figured I would work on this one again. Also, sorry this story doesn't really follow how _Two and a Half Men really _is. This is usually my style of writing, putting characters in danger.**

Chapter 8

Over the next couple of days, Alan was really jumpy every time he heard the phone or doorbell ring, or even the microwave. He never let Tyler out of his sight. He gave Jake a hard time every time the kid left the house to hang out with friends.

"Dad, they're not after me, they're after Tyler," Jake pointed out, annoyed for the third time.

"You don't know that, Jake," Alan shot back at his son. "They could use you to get your sister."

"I'd say, let'em have the kid!"

"Jacob Harper that is your sister you're referring to." Alan couldn't understand why Jake wasn't so accepting of Tyler. He accepted his other sister, what was the difference? Alan lowered his voice and eased off so he could ask, "do you not like Tyler?"

Jake shrugged, "It's not that, it's just the fact that I got two little sisters thrown at me so fast, and it seems like no one even cares about me, anymore."

Alan stared at his son, in disbelief. "Jake, your mother and I love you very much, and always will. Babies and young children just need more attention because they can't do things themselves like you can. I didn't mean to make you feel left out, I just figured that was what you wanted, was for me to leave you alone."

"Then why can't I go hang out with my friend?" Jake asked.

"I still worry about you," he replied. "Like I said, if these people find out about you, or your uncle Charlie, or your grandmother, they could use you to get their hands on Tyler."

Charlie, who was outside on the patio, watching Tyler play in the sand, yelled into the house, "I'm fine if they take Mom!"

Alan sighed as he gave an annoyed look at the floor. "Not the point, Charlie!"

"I'll be fine, Dad," Jake continued. "We'll be in a busy place with plenty of people around."

"Jake, anything could happen when no one's looking."

"Exactly, I could die, choking on a mint here at home," he pointed out. "Now, can I please go to the movies?" There was the sound of a car horn from outside the house. Jake looked back at the door, then back at his father. "Please?"

Alan sighed again. He really did not want Jake to go, but the kid was fifteen now, almost an adult. Alan knew he had to let him go, sooner or later and pray he'd be okay. Hesitating, he finally told Jake, yes.

"Thanks, Dad," said Jake and hurried out the door, almost running into a tall man on the porch. Apologizing, Jake ran around him and got into his friend's mom's car, in the backseat.

The man knocked on the door and a few seconds later, Alan opened it.

"Can I help you with something?" Alan asked, unsure who the man was.

"Are you Alan Harper?" the man asked him.

Alan eyed him. "Depends on who's asking." He noticed the man had one hand behind his back.

Suddenly, the man shot his arm around, pointing a gun at Alan. "I hear you have what I want," he smirked, cocking the gun.

Alan grew nervous. "I don't know what you are talking about."

The man stepped forward. It was Ben. "Look, we could do this the easy way or the hard way, and I think you would be better off, choosing the easy way."

Alan tried slamming the door shut, but Ben put one foot in the way, blocking it from shutting. Ben pushed the door open, without any effort, even though Alan was trying to push it closed with all of his weight.

"Guess you prefer the hard way," he sneered.

"You're not going anywhere near my daughter, you sick, perverted bastard!" Alan exclaimed, trying with all his might to push the door closed. It was a losing battle though.

Charlie poked his head in. "Everything alright in here, Alan?"

"Charlie, take Tyler and run!" Alan told his brother.

Charlie saw his little brother pushing all his weight against the door, while another man, twice Alan's size, pushed it open. Charlie realized what was happening and hurried over to scoop Tyler up, into his arms before taking off at a run.

"What's goin' on, Uncle Charlie?" Tyler asked.

Charlie ran as fast as he could. "Trust me, kid, you don't want to know."

Unfortunately, Tyler still got her answer. Looking forward, over her uncle's shoulder was Ben, chasing after them. Tyler recognized him, too and got scared when he held his gun out and shot at Charlie's legs. One hit Charlie in the back of the leg, making him trip. He managed to roll on the ground where Tyler landed on top of him, unharmed. Charlie sat up, grabbing his leg in pain.

Ben finally caught up and grabbed Tyler out of his arms. He smirked at the young child, "and you thought you could hide from me."

"Let me go, Uncle Charlie needs helps," she cried out.

"Oh, don't worry about him, I only want you." The way he said, "want" made shivers go down Tyler's spine as she started crying.

"Let me go, let me go!" she cried out some more.

"Kid, you better shut up before I beat your rear into next Tuesday!" Ben threatened her.

Charlie moaned from the ground. "You touch my niece, and I will break every bone into your body," he said, painfully.

Ben turned around upon hearing that and kicked him like an unwanted dog, in the side. Charlie cried out in more pain. Ben didn't break his ribcage, but it still hurt as it did.

"Stop it, your hurting him!" Tyler was struggling in Ben's right arm, trying to break free. Tears drenched her face. Ben's grip around her waist tightened as she screamed out. "Let me go, you're hurting me!"

"Oh, you think that hurts, keep it up and I will show you what real pain is," he threatened again.

Tyler wasn't listening to Ben at all. She was more focused on trying to break free from the man's tight grip. Tyler tried to push up on his arms, swings her leg through the air. Once that didn't work, Tyler reached down and bit Ben on the arm as he was dialing a phone number.

He ignored it for now and made his call, letting his friend know he had the kid. Then, once he hung up, Ben put his phone away in his pocket and gave Tyler a hard swat to her backside, making her cry out. "Would you like another?"

Tyler whimpered, shaking her head fast.

"Then you better knock it off or next time, it will be my belt!"

"Touch my child and that will be the last thing you ever do!"

Ben spun around to see Alan standing there, glaring at him, panting hard. Alan didn't know where this sudden outburst was coming from but one thing he did know was this: No one messes with one of his children and gets away with it!

"Put her down, now," he ordered.

Ben placed his free hand on his side, fist closed. "Do you, both have a death wish or something?" he smirked. "Should I beat you to a pulp, too?"

Anger rose inside of Alan when he finally saw his brother, lying there on the ground, in pain. In fact, it reached record height. Never in his whole life, had Alan felt so much hatred for a human being and he was usually so forgiving. "Let my daughter go," he said as calmly as he could.

Ben took his gun back out where he had put it behind him, and pointed it at Alan. "Care to repeat that?" He cocked the hammer back.

Tyler cried out, no and tried to shove the gun away from the direction of her father.

"Just wait until we get back to my place, kid," Ben warned her. He tried taking it out of her reach.

At that point, a blue van pulled up and the side door was slid open. Ben smirked at Alan before jumping inside. Alan tried to run after them, but once Ben tossed Tyler on the floor like garbage, he shove Alan back and slammed the door shut. Ben's friend then drove off, making that skidding noise as the van disappeared.

Alan tried running after the van, but it was no use. The van was gone. Suddenly, he remembered his brother and ran back to make sure he was okay. "Charlie?"

"Call 911, Alan," Charlie told him.

Alan quickly dug into his pants pocket, finding no phone. He must have left it at the house. Alan scanned the neighborhood to see if anyone was outside. A guy, with his dog hurried up to him.

"Hey, I saw what happened, well the tail end, anyway," the man said. "I already called 911."

Alan let a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir." Turning back to Charlie, he said, "You hear that, Charlie? An ambulance is on its way. Please, just stay with me." Alan was starting to panic as he kneeled beside his brother, on the ground. Tears felt like they were starting to form in his eyes.

Charlie lifted his head. "Hey, Alan?"

"Yeah, Charlie?" he replied.

"Make sure I have a good-looking nurse, okay? Or doctor, doesn't matter. Both would be nice, actually."

Alan just shook his head at his brother, not helping but smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Robin lied on the hard floor still. She hurt, physically all over. The door was slammed open and a young child's cries were heard, along with Ben's harsh voice, telling her to shut up. Robin sat up at once when she realized who the cries belong to. _Oh God! They found her! Did Alan turn her over to them or did Ben… _Not long after, she heard a sharp sound and Robin could hear her daughter scream at the top of her lungs. The sharp sound continued several times before it stopped and Ben appeared in the room, carrying a crying Tyler. He dropped the little girl next to Robin and headed to the kitchen to grab a beer, while putting his belt back on.

Tyler was curled in a ball, on the floor, crying for Alan. Robin tried to scoot closer to her daughter, but when Tyler saw her, she moved away from her.

"Tyler, why are you acting that way?" Robin asked her, confused. "It's me, remember. It's Mommy."

Tyler glared at her. "You're a bad mommy," the little girl told her, bitterly.

"Tyler, don't say things like that, that's very hurtful."

Tyler leaned, sideways against the wall, holding herself. Tears continued to leak down both sides of her face.

Robin watched her, sadly. "Why do you think I'm a bad mommy? Has Ben been telling you anything about me, because you know what he says, isn't true."

She shook her head.

"Then why do you think that, Tyler?"

"Because Daddy said so," she finally admitted. Tyler glared over at her mother, once more. "You made him throw up."

"What?" Robin did not understand. Surely there was a large chunk missing here. After all, Tyler was only three.

"I told Daddy our secret."

Robin's eyes grew wide. "Tyler, you didn't…"

She nodded. Even though Tyler promised Alan never to tell her mother that she told him, she couldn't help but tell Robin, herself.

"Tyler Anne, I told you never to tell…"

Tyler cut her off. "Daddy said that you were sup-posed to protect me. You didn't."

"Tyler, you don't understand, you're basically still a baby," she tried to plead with her.

"No, I'm not. Daddy says I'm very smart for my age."

The mother/daughter commotion brought Ben back in the room, pissed off. "You keep screaming and I'll beat your ass again, you hear me?" he threatened Tyler.

Tyler scooted back, nodding up at him. She also winced from the pain coming from her backside, from the first time.

Ben quickly dropped to one knee, inches from her. He grabbed a piece of rope and tied her little arms together. "When I get out of the shower, we'll "catch up" in my room." Ben gave Tyler a sly smile before he stood up and walked down the hallway.

Tyler's little heart started beating faster, realizing what was gonna happen. She fell forward, lying on her stomach. Tyler hid her face in the floor, crying for Alan again. Robin's heart broke, wishing she could hold her daughter.

"Tyler, come sit next to me," she finally told her.

Tyler lifted her head. "No! I want Daddy!"

"But Daddy isn't here," she pointed out.

"Is there a phone?" The night before, Alan had taught Tyler his and Charlie's cell numbers and the home phone number, along with their address and 911.

"I don't know, but we have to wait here or Ben would hurt us more. Okay, sweetheart?"

Tyler struggled to her feet, having a lot of difficulties what with her hands tied together. Very quiet and careful, Tyler snuck to the kitchen where she found Ben's cell phone on the kitchen table. She climbed onto a chair. To say Tyler was scared was an understatement. What possessed her to do it, no one knew, not even her. Tyler just did it.

Leaning on her arms, Tyler poked the call button onscreen and dialed Alan's number.

Alan was pacing around his brother's hospital room, a nervous wreck. He was extremely worried about Tyler and what Ben was doing to her.

Charlie watched him. "Alan, will you settle down? You're gonna pace right through the floor."

"I can't Charlie, my little girl is in danger, right now and I couldn't do anything to save her," he told his brother.

Their mother, Evelyn walked into the room, at that point. "Charlie, what did you do to a girl, this time?"

Charlie felt offended towards his mother's remark. "Why do you automatically assume a girl put me here?"

"Face it, Charlie, woman want more than just good sex," she told him.

"For your information, it wasn't because of a woman," said Charlie.

"Then what happened?" Evelyn asked.

"Charlie was shot because of me," Alan admitted.

Their mother turned around to look at her youngest son. "What are you talking about? What were you doing?"

"Charlie was protecting my daughter, Tyler from this guy and…"

She cut him off. "Your what?"

"My daughter, she's three years old and the brightest kid you would ever meet." Alan explained how Tyler came to be, to his mother.

"And when were you gonna tell me I had another grandchild?" Evelyn asked afterwards.

"It's been a hectic week, Mom," Alan explained to his mother. "Tyler got sick right off the bat and had to be hospitized, and when she was released, she was still fighting a minor bug. Then just the other day, we find out some guy is after her. Things haven't been easy, Mom."

"What guy?" she asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know his name. My guess, a friend of Tyler's mother, shoot, probably lovers." Alan still hadn't gotten over the bitterness of what Robin had let happen to their child. In fact, he may never get over it. "All I know is, he hurt my little girl and I'm gonna rip his damn heart out."

Charlie was enjoying, seeing his brother this way. "I don't know who you are, but I like you way better than the old Alan."

Alan glared over at him. "This is serious, Charlie. Tyler is probably scared to death, right now." A realization came over him. "Oh God, what if he's…" Alan walked away, his face in his hands and sat in an arm chair in the corner of the room. A tear escaped his eye. "What if she's being…I promised I wouldn't let that happen again."

"Promised what?" his mother asked, "And to whom?"

Alan stared at the white, hard floor. "My daughter is only three, and already she had her innocence snatched from her."

Evelyn stared at her youngest son, surprised and horrified. This was news to Charlie, too. Alan had kept the secret between him and Tyler.

Charlie threw back the blanket. "Where is this guy? I will kill him, bloody, myself!"

Alan leaned on his elbow. "Robin is probably watching with popcorn."

"Alan, how do you know she let him do that to your child?" his mother asked.

He dropped his arm to look up at her. "Because that is what Tyler said. You weren't there, you didn't see the look on her face when she told me and how she kept it to herself. They were in need of money to pay the bills and Robin invited the guy into their home. She even dressed Tyler up for him." Alan stood back up. "When the police arrest this guy, I'm gonna make sure they lock her up, too and she will never see Tyler ever again."

"You're gonna keep Tyler from her mother?" Charlie questioned him.

"Yes, Charlie," he replied. "Obviously, that letter she wrote was nothing but lies."

"And what letter is that?" asked Evelyn.

Alan told her about the letter, Robin wrote.

"Alan, it sounds to me that if she hadn't care about your daughter, she wouldn't have taken the risk of dropping her off with you," she said when Alan finished.

"Then why didn't she just ask for my help in the first place?" he demanded. "Instead of letting this guy hurt her just to earn some cash, why didn't Robin just ask me?"

"Sweetheart, take it from another single mother, it isn't easy," she told him. "Sometimes, mothers have to make tough decisions in order to take care of their children."

Alan stared at his mother. "Are you saying what Robin did, was right?"

"All I'm saying is, she had to do what was best for her child," Evelyn shrugged as if it were nothing.

"Our child and I can't believe you. Tyler was raped, Mother, How is that best?"

"It's not like Robin didn't have a reason…"

"Even if it meant living on the street, I would never let someone come in and touch my children." Alan held his head as he walked away, towards the far wall. His head felt like it would explode at any given moment. How anyone could see what Robin did was a good thing, obviously did not have a heart. Alan placed both hands on his pelvis as he sighed.

At that point, his cell phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the number. It wasn't one he recognized. Opening it, Alan pressed talk and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Daddy?"

Alan's heart skipped a beat. "Tyler? Is that you? Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I don't know. I'm scared, Daddy," she replied, close to tears.

Alan tried to remain calm. "It'll be okay. Do you know where that guy is who took you?"

"Ben?" Tyler asked.

Charlie was leaning forward, wanting to know what was going on.

"Sure, if that's his name," said Alan.

"He's in the shower. Daddy, he's gonna do it again," Tyler said, frantic. "Help me."

Alan's heart just about broke inside his chest. He didn't know what to do. He never dealt with this stuff. "Okay, um…" Alan thought fast. "Is there anything with an address on it? Like some mail?"

Tyler looked down at a pile of paper. To her, it was all gibberish, but to an adult they were bills and credit card applications. She pulled a phone bill closer to her, with both of her hands. "I think I found it."

Alan quickly scanned the hospital room for a writing utensil and paper. When he didn't find any, he rushed out the room to the main desk, asking for them. "Okay, can you read me off the address, Tyler?"

"1-5-5-3-9…" Tyler slowly tried to sound out west.

"Spell it for me, sweetheart, don't worry about trying to read it," Alan told her.

"Okay, Dad…"

"Tyler, what are you doing?"

Tyler jumped at the voice. Luckily, it was only Robin and Tyler returned to reading off the address for her father before Ben got out of the shower. "W-E-S-T L-I-T-T…oh, Little O-A-K…"

"Tyler, you're gonna get us in trouble, come here, now," Robin told her daughter, sternly but tried to keep her voice down.

Tyler ignored her mother and continued. "…R-I-D-G-E S-T-R-E-E-T." She heard the water being shut off in the bathroom, scaring her to death. Her little heart was beating fast again. She quickly spelled out Los Angeles, CA at a faster pace, along with the zip code.

"Tyler, listen to me," Alan tried to assure her. "I will get there as fast as I can and I will call the police. Hopefully, they'll get there sooner. Everything will be all right, I promise."

"He's out of the shower, Daddy. What do I do?"

"Hide, bide as much time as you can. If there's a closet, perfect. I love you, Tyler," he told her.

"Tyler, you can't hide, you know that will only make Ben madder," Robin reminded her.

"What is going on?" Ben was standing in the entryway, in a red bathrobe and barefoot. "Why are the two of you in here?"

Robin started pleading. "I tried to plead with my daughter, Ben but she wouldn't listen. Please don't hurt us, she's just a little girl. She didn't know any better."

Alan could hear the whole thing and could not believe Robin was calling out their daughter like that. Suddenly, he heard a sound of a slap and soon afterwards, Tyler crying out as her voice faded away.

With that in mind, Alan ran from the hospital, taking the stairs as he dialed 911.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"My daughter is in danger," he shouted into the phone as he flew down the stairs.

"Calm down, sir, where are you?"

"I'm leaving the hospital at the moment, my daughter is at 1-5-5-3-9 West Little Oakridge Street, Los Angles, CA."

"Is your daughter home alone, sir?"

"No, there's a man there, I think his name is Ben and he's gonna hurt her. Can you please send a police officer there?" Alan reached the first floor, but did not stop to rest as soon as his feet stepped off the last step. Instead, he sprinted out, through the automatic, main doors and out to where he parked his car.

Once he was done on the phone, Alan focused on the road, typing in the address Tyler had spelled out for him into his GPS and drove from the parking lot. He drove as fast as the speed limit would allow, drumming his fingers on the top of the steering wheel at every stoplight he waited at.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: There are attempts of sexual abuse to a child in this chapter. If that makes you uncomfortable to read then please don't read this. **

Chapter 10

The blinds of the bedroom were shut with no sunlight shining in. Tyler sat on a large bed that had no sheets and the mattress smelled of sweat and must. The door was shut and locked so she couldn't escape. Her little heart was beating fast as Tyler sat there, scared to death.

She wished her father would get there soon before Ben returned. She wanted him so badly, and her uncle Charlie. Charlie was funny to her, and Tyler loved listening to him and her father argue, sometimes. To her, the brothers sounded like an old married couple.

Soon, she heard heavy footsteps walking towards the door. They were too heavy for her father's. Tyler hoped it was a police office, but what were the chances of that? She had a lot of bad luck outweighing the good, right now.

The doorknob turned, slowly and opened to reveal Ben standing there, still in his robe. Shutting the door again, he locked it, grinning at Tyler. Tyler scooted away, towards the wall, watching the evil man. Ben walked, slowly towards the bed on the floor and got down on his hands and knees, crawling towards the little girl.

"I missed you, Tyler," he sneered. "You're the prettiest girl I ever had, you know."

Tyler's chest rapidly, moved up and down. Tears poured down her cheeks as she continued to stare at him. "I w-want my daddy," she managed to choke out in sobs.

"Oh, was it the little scrawny one or the guy I shot and kicked," he snickered, "because I don't see either one coming to save you."

She stared at him with terrified eyes.

Ben moved closer. Soon, he was hovering over her. Ben leaned on one hand to touch his other hand to the side of her face. Tyler moved her face away, suddenly.

"You don't have a choice, kid. I gave your mother two options, either I kill you and her, or you and I can finish where we left off from before. Want to know what she chose?"

Tyler nodded, slowly. She was shaking all over now. "You can kill me…if you want."

"Oh no, I wouldn't go back on my word, little one. I told your mother I would let you live, what would I look like if I went back on my word?"

"No more, please. I don't want the owie again, it hurts more than a spanking," Tyler pleaded.

Ben gave her a sly smile, and then sat back on his legs to untie his robe sash. Tyler tried to scoot back, towards the wall again but Ben grabbed ahold of her ankle and pulled her towards him. He reached over to unbutton her jeans and unzipped them. Tyler tried to hold onto her jeans as he started to pull them down, but was losing the battle due to him being a lot stronger.

Finally, Ben managed to get her jeans off and started for her underwear when police sirens were heard, pulling up to his house. He looked towards the front window. "What the hell?" He looked down at the little girl, pissed off. "That's who you called? You little shit!" Ben grabbed her left arm and yanked her over, to give her bottom a hard swat. "You stay here." Ben stood up, tying his sash again as he left the room, locking the door.

Ben hurried down the hall as the police pounded on the front door. He opened the door to two of them standing there on his front porch. "What is the problem, officers?"

"We got a call about a little girl being in danger," the officer with short, blond hair explained.

He tried to play it off. "Well, you know how kids can be, always making prank phone calls," he said. "I'll make sure she doesn't do it again."

"Sir, we didn't say it was a kid who called us," the other officer, with short, black hair told him, removing his sunglasses.

Ben lost his words, not knowing how to respond. "Well…uh…"

"Sir, mind if we have a look around?" the first one asked.

"Do you have a warrant?" he asked them.

"Sir, we just want to look around your house, not your stuff. We just need to make sure everything is fine," the black-haired officer said.

Defeated, Ben stepped aside to let the two police officers in. They wandered around the house, finding Robin tied up, first. Upon seeing that, Ben tried to make a run for it but never made it out the door. The black-haired officer had him pinned to the ground, hand-cuffing him and reading him, his rights.

The blond-haired officer was kneeled beside Robin, cutting her loose. "My name is Officer Swanson, ma'am. What's yours?"

"Robin," she replied. "Thank you so much."

"Well, Robin, is there anyone else here or was it just the two of you?" he asked her.

Robin thought about it. For some reason, nothing was coming to mind. Her brain was drawing a blank and she shook her head. Officer Swanson led her outside. In the sunlight, her skin looked pale and her hair was matted.

The other officer went back inside to have a look around. He came to a locked door and unlocked it, before going inside. On the bed, was Tyler, trying to get her jeans back on but was having trouble with the button. He went over to her. "Need some help?"

Tyler looked up to see the police officer standing there. She wasn't afraid though because she was taught to never fear the police. She nodded up, at him who kneeled down to her level to help.

He smiled at her. "I have four kids of my own," he explained, fastening them. "The youngest is about your age and learning to dress himself, too. Can you tell me what happened?"

Tyler sniffed back some tears. "Ben tried to hurt me again."

"Hurt you, how, sweetheart?" he asked.

"With his private."

The officer nodded. "My name is Officer Duncan, okay, and that man will never hurt you again. Can you tell me your name?"

She wiped her eye with the palm of her hand. "Tyler."

Officer Duncan lifted Tyler up, onto his side and carried her from the house just as Alan was pulling up, in his car. Alan shut off the car and stepped out, shutting his door as he around the car.

Tyler was the first to spot him. "Daddy!" She held out her arms to him as he ran up the driveway, to the officer.

"Officer, that's my kid," Alan told him.

Officer Duncan nodded as he smiled, passing Tyler to him.

Tyler immediately latched onto Alan's neck, not wanting to let go.

Officer Duncan recognized Alan from the hospital when they were there for Charlie's injury and Tyler being kidnapped in the first place. "Sir, Tyler tells me, that a man named Ben tried to abuse her, sexuality and she mentioned it happened before. Now, we have him in custody but we would like for you to give us a positive ID to make sure he's the one who shot your brother and kidnapped your daughter."

Alan nodded, "Okay." He wasn't too sure of looking the man who raped his daughter in the eye. He wanted to kill him for what Ben did. Alan followed the officer over to the police car as an ambulance pulled up, parking in front of the police car and opened the back end. "Yeah, that's him, all right," Alan said, coldly. "Lock him up and burn the key." Alan had so much hate at that point, that he could have broken through the glass of the car window and strangled the guy, right then and there if it wasn't for the fact he was holding his daughter. Plus, the scumbag wasn't worth going to jail over.

"Can you identify the woman over there?" Officer Swanson snapped him from his thoughts.

Alan looked over where the paramedics were tending to Robin. Aside from the bruises and matted hair, he knew who she was. "Yeah, I know who she is. Her name's Robin Hemingway, my daughter's mother and the reason why the guy sexually abused her."

Officer Swanson took notes on what Alan told him.

A paramedic walked up to the men. "Sir, we're gonna need to check her over," he told Alan, meaning Tyler.

Alan nodded and walked over to the ambulance, sitting down on the edge, next to Robin and set Tyler on his lap so the paramedic could check Tyler over.

Robin looked at him, tiredly. "Alan?"

He continued to watch the paramedic. "I have nothing to say to you, Robin."

"Thank you for taking our daughter in, she seems really attached to you already," she told him.

Alan didn't respond to her.

"Once I get back on my feet, I will send for her," Robin continued as if she had his full attention.

"You're never going to see Tyler again," he finally said.

"She's our daughter, Alan, you can't do that."

Alan turned his head to stare at the mother of his youngest child. "How could you call yourself a mother after what you let happen to her? I may barely get by with my finances, but I would never use my children just so I could pay the bills."

"Tyler was never supposed to tell anyone."

"Yeah, I know. How could you? For Pete's sake, she's a child, Robin," he said.

"I didn't have a choice, it was either raise her on the streets or let Ben give us the money," she tried to argue.

"You know what, Robin, you need psychological help. You could have asked me for help raising Tyler, I would have done something."

Robin laughed at that statement. "Yeah, and get married just because we have a kid together, I don't think so, Alan. Even I have my dignity."

"We're not talking about marriage or dignity here, Robin. We're talking about our daughter's innocence which you basically took from her when you let that bastard into your home."

Tyler had her head against her father's chest as she was examined by one the paramedics. He ran through the whole routine before he announced that he was done.

"She would still need to go to the hospital so she could be fully checked over," the paramedic explained.

"Is it okay if my daughter rides with me or does she need to ride in the ambulance?" Alan asked him.

"She has to ride in the ambulance."

He nodded. "Tyler, you get to ride in the ambulance, but I will be right behind in my car. Okay?" Alan told his daughter.

"But I want to go with you, Daddy," Tyler replied.

"It will just be for a little bit, I promise, sweetheart," he assured her.

"I'll be riding with you," said Robin.

Tyler gave her mother a hard glare. "I don't want you, I want Daddy. You can go away!"

"Tyler, you do not yell at your mother," Alan scolded her.

"You were, too," Tyler pointed out.

"I know, and I shouldn't have but I don't want you doing it, too, no matter how much she deserves it. You do not have to like her, but you will show your mother some respect, just like we talked about, last night," he explained. "Understand?"

Tyler nodded, "Yes, Daddy."

Alan stood up and lifted Tyler up, to set her inside the ambulance. Tyler sat on the bench on the driver's side where Alan reached up to kiss his daughter's cheek.

He stepped back and waved. "I will see you in a little bit, Tyler."

She waved back. "Bye, Daddy."

The paramedics got into the ambulance, helping Robin inside and drove off in the direction of the hospital. The police had already left with Ben in custody.

Alan looked down, in thought. The last few weeks had been crazy and stressful for him but knowing the guy who had hurt his little girl was behind bars was going to let him sleep, peacefully. Alan walked back to his car and got in, fastening his seatbelt. Adjusting his rear-view mirror, he started his car and checked to see if any other cars were coming before driving off, too. Soon, the house wasn't even in his mirror anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

**Just pointing out: I recently just found out that the show started when Jake was ten. I thought it started when he was twelve. I just saw episodes from the first season for the first time. Thanks again for reading. I realized, I think I am the only active one in the _Two and a Half Men category... _**

Chapter 11

A month had passed since Tyler was kidnapped. Everything seemed normal. Tyler was feeling one hundred percent better and running her father and uncle crazy with normal three-year-old stuff, and on top of that, she was a very gifted little girl who was very inquisitive and loved learning new things, including asking questions. Tyler was the complete opposite of Jake, too, except for the fact that she liked picking her nose and sticking it random places.

Alan had not heard from Robin since the court hearing. Alan had to be there to speak on Tyler's behalf. Ben was sentenced with ten years in prison. Alan thought he should have a life sentence but that was the judge's final decision. Even after a month of the guy locked up, he was still scared and overly protective of his kids, especially Tyler.

One morning, Alan woke up, feeling around for his daughter with his eyes still closed. When he realized she wasn't there, he opened his eyes and sat up, fast. "Tyler?" He got out of bed and checked the bathroom before he checked Jake's room who was at his mother's since it was during the week. Finally, Alan ran into the living room, grabbing the phone as he headed for the kitchen. "Charlie, have you seen…"

Tyler was sitting on her legs, at the table, eating a bowl of Choco Puffs. "Good morning, Daddy," she smiled up at her father.

Alan leaned over and kissed the side of her head. "Good morning, my little baby girl," he smiled in return. "Did Uncle Charlie make you breakfast when he's supposed to be taking it easy?"

Tyler shook her head. "Berta did."

"I just came downstairs right before you woke up," Charlie told his brother.

"Did you tell Berta thank you?" Alan asked of his daughter.

She nodded.

"Good girl." Alan stood up. "Hurry and finish eating so we can get ready."

"Daddy," she said as Alan went over to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Can you watch _Pocahontas _with me, tonight?"

Alan set the coffee pot back in its place and took a drink. "We just watched it last night."

"I want to watch it again, with you," she told him.

"I have an idea," he said, walking back over to kneel beside her chair. "How about, since you've been a very good girl since you've been living here, we can get some lunch and possibly pick out a toy and a movie. How does that sound?"

"Okay, but don't you work today?" Tyler asked.

"Yes, but I'm off early today so I can spend some daddy/daughter time with my favorite girl," he smiled at his daughter.

"But Daddy, I'm your only girl, Jake is a boy."

"I know, that's why you're my favorite girl."

Tyler threw her arms around her father's neck. "I love you, Daddy."

Alan's heart melted like it always did when Tyler told him she loved him. "I love you, too, Tyler." He held her in his arms not wanting to ever let go. Having Tyler as a daughter has changed his world the past month. Nothing else seemed to matter to him, besides Jake. To him, Alan had two of the greatest kids ever and to Tyler, he was Superman. He became her hero, her protector.

After breakfast, Alan got Tyler ready for the day and strapped her into her car seat. He then drove to where he worked. The building Alan worked in also had a small daycare that he could afford. Plus, it worked out perfectly, letting him be close in case something happened and Tyler needed him.

"Daddy, why is the sky blue?" Tyler asked as they drove through the neighborhood, into the city.

"Because God wanted the sky to be blue, I guess," Alan answered, looking in the rear-view mirror at his daughter.

"But why?"

"I don't know, God is very mysterious," he explained.

"How come we can't see Him?"

"God lives up in heaven and watches over us."

"With the angels, right?"

Alan nodded, "That's right."

"Daddy," she continued.

Alan acknowledged her, "Yes, Tyler?"

"Will you always love me?" she asked.

"Of course I will."

"Can I always love you, even when I'm old?"

Alan smiled up at her, "Always and forever."

Tyler smiled in return.

When Alan dropped Tyler off at daycare, Tyler went straight for the toys and played by herself. At craft time, she drew a picture of her and her father, in stick-figure form. When the teacher had the kids sit in a circle, Tyler sat a foot from them, listening to the other kids sing kid songs. Tyler was shy around other kids and usually didn't say a word when she was in daycare.

The teacher noticed Tyler wasn't singing again. In between songs, she asked Tyler to scoot closer to the group and sing with the rest of them. Tyler shook her head, slowly. The teacher only smiled and started the next song.

When the kids ate lunch, Tyler just ate carrot sticks. Alan had already explained to the teacher he was taking Tyler out early for lunch so the teacher just let her have carrot sticks. After lunch, the kids had naptime, scattered throughout the classroom with pillows and blankets. When Alan came to pick Tyler up, he quietly walked over and picked her up and left, thanking the teacher when she handed him Tyler's _Dora _backpack. Tyler latched onto his neck in her sleep and snuggled into his shoulder.

Alan carried his daughter out to his car and, very carefully placed her in her car seat, strapping her in. He shut her door and opened his, getting in and starting the engine. Alan fastened his seat belt and pulled out of the parking space, driving to a Red Robin.

When he parked and got out, he woke Tyler up. "Hey, sleepyhead," he told her when she opened her eyes. "We're here."

Tyler rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up, fully. "Where are we?"

"Remember, I was taking you to lunch," he reminded her, undoing her car seat buckle before lifting her out of the car and onto her feet and shut the car door.

Tyler took ahold of her father's hand as they walked up the main door. Alan opened the door for the two of them and went inside, opening the second door, too.

A girl, in her early twenties, with long, brown hair tied back in a ponytail, smiled at them. "Two?" she asked.

"Yes," Alan replied.

The girl grabbed a regular menu and a kid's menu. "Right this way, then," she told them and led the two of them to a small table. Tyler climbed onto a chair as Alan sat on another. "Here are your menus," the girl laid the menus down on the table in front of them. She reached into her pouch and pulled out some crayons that said Red Robin on each of them. "And here are some crayons for you, little one." She placed the crayons on the table beside Tyler's menu. "Can I get you both something to drink?"

"Um, I will have an iced tea," said Alan before turning to his daughter. "What would you like to drink, sweetheart?"

"Can I have lemonade?" Tyler asked, quietly.

"Yes you may," he replied and told the girl.

"Okay, I will be right back with your drinks," the girl smiled and walked away.

Alan started opening his menu. "What would you like to eat?" he asked Tyler.

"What do they have?" she asked.

He leaned forward to scan her menu, flipping it over. "It's right here. You can have chicken fingers, mac and cheese, a cheeseburger, hotdog, or pasta."

Tyler sat on her legs, leaning on the edge of the table, looking at the menu. "Um, I want chicken fingers."

"Are you sure?" Alan asked her.

She nodded.

Alan looked through his menu as Tyler colored on her menu. When the girl returned with their drinks, Alan ordered for them and the girl took his menu back.

"How was daycare today?" Alan asked, trying to start up a conversation with Tyler.

"Okay," she shrugged, coloring the bird in, on her menu.

"Just okay?"

She nodded, not looking up.

"What did you do? Did you learn anything new?" he asked.

"No, but I colored you a picture, Daddy," Tyler said, looking up. "It's in my backpack."

Alan smiled, "You did, huh? Did you make any friends yet?"

She shook her head, returning to her coloring.

"Why not?"

Tyler shrugged.

Alan ran his fingers through her black hair. "Are you playing with anyone, at least?"

Again, she shook her head. Alan was starting to worry about his daughter. It had been a month since he got her into daycare and she still hasn't made any friends. In fact, Tyler's teacher had already informed him that Tyler was shy and Alan had started researching about children who are shy. He watched her as she filled in the blanks to the unscramble game and was impressed Tyler was getting them right. Tyler was really mature and gifted for a three-year-old. She knew how to read already and could recite her ABCs and could count to twenty. Of course, her speech was also advanced for her age, as well.

"Great job, Tyler," Alan praised when she finished.

"Can you play Tic-Tac-Toe with me?" she asked him.

Alan reached over her menu and picked up a blue crayon. "Sure." The two of them played all three games of Tic-Tac-Toe together. Tyler won the first two times and Alan won the last game. "So, how do you like living with me and your uncle Charlie?" he asked after the last game. "Do you like it?"

Tyler nodded, "Yeah, Uncle Charlie is teaching me to play the piano."

"He is, huh. Can you play a song yet?"

She shook her head, "Not yet."

"Well, if you keep practicing, you will someday," he assured her. "Just make sure not to touch Uncle Charlie's piano when he's not around. Okay?"

Tyler nodded.

Once the two of them ate their lunch, Alan paid the bill and left Red Robin. On the way home, he stopped at the toy store and let Tyler pick out a toy. Riding on her father's shoulders, she picked out a small dollhouse that came with furniture and a family of five, including a dog. Alan had to put Tyler down so he could carry it. She didn't want a movie, though. Tyler was content with just her new doll house.

That evening, Tyler played with her new toys on the coffee table while Charlie watched TV on the couch behind her. Alan was continuing his research, sitting on the other end of the couch, with his laptop on his lap. Tyler seemed fine for a while but then something she said, caught his attention.

"You're stupid! Go away!" Alan looked up in time to see Tyler using the figurine of the father kick the one of the baby across the table. It fell on the floor on the other side.

It caught Charlie's attention, too. Alan exchanged a look with his brother before turning back to his daughter. "Tyler, that isn't how you treat or talk to a baby."

"The baby wouldn't stop crying so he had to make her stop crying," Tyler explained.

Alan could not believe the words that came out of his three-year-old daughter's mouth. "Where did you hear that, Tyler?" Tyler sat there, on her legs, staring at the father figurine. Alan closed his laptop, setting it beside him on the couch. "Come here, sweetheart."

Tyler stood up and let her father pull her onto his lap. Alan had her face him, pushing her chin up to look at him. "Did Ben say that to you?"

She nodded, slowly.

"That was very wrong of him to say, okay. Babies are to be handled with love and care, not mean words and kicking," he told her. "Understand?"

Tyler nodded again.

"I don't ever want to hear that again or you will be in time-out. Do you understand?"

She nodded a third time.

"You're not in any trouble, Tyler. I just don't want you talking that way." Alan hugged his daughter to him, kissing the top of her head. Afterwards, he let her continue playing for another half hour before he gave her a bath and got her ready for bed.

As he was walking back to the den, the house phone rang. Alan answered it. "This is Alan."

"Alan, its Robin. Can we talk?"


End file.
